Weed and grass destroyer.



H. B. KORESSEL.

WEED AND GRASS DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED JAH.15, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

5 SHEETBBHEET 1.

H. B. KORESSEL.

WEED AND GRASS DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15,1909.

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WEED AND GRASS DESTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1909.

968,772. Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

5 SHEET8SHEET 3.

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WEED AND GRASS DEfiTROYER.

APPLICATION FILED J.AN.15,1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

5 8HEBTSSHEET 4.

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H. B. KORESSEL.

WEED AND GRASS DESTROYER.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN.15, 1909.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

HENRY B. KORESSEL, OF HOWELL, INDIANA.

WEED AND GRASS DESTBOYEB.

Application filed January 15, 1909.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. KonnssEL, citizen of the United States,residing at Howell, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weed and GrassDestroyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion has for its main purpose the provision of a machinewhich while being moved across a grass field or other plot of groundwill automatically remove the top or surface thereof, kill the grass andweeds therein and return the soil to the ground. In pursuance of thisobject I have provided a machine or apparatus adapted to be moved acrossthe surface of the ground to be treated and embodying instrumentalitieswhereby the soil or top surface is removed for a predetermined depth,thence conveyed to a portion of the machine or apparatus where the rootstherein are killed and, in its passage thereto is subjected to theaction of a device by which the soil is opened up where by the killingagent may effectively reach all parts thereof, and is finally returnedto the ground with the vegetal matter therein in condition to enrich thesoil.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts, and inpeculiarities in the construction and arrangement of elements,substantially as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown an apparatus or machine whichillustrates the features of the present invention in what I now regardas the best forms thereof, but it is to be understood that theillustrated forms of the invention are merely ex emplary and that theinvention is not restricted to the details illustrated and may be widelyvaried and embodied in many different forms of mechanism withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the scope of thesubjoined claims.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, with the cover removed.Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on a line correspondingto the line 38 in Fig. 2, but including the cover of the machine. Fig. 4is a transverse vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig.1. Fig. 5 is afront end view. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the means for re-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

Serial No. 472,542.

moving the soil and loosening its particles, and of a portion of themeans for elevating it to the root-killing element of the machine. Fig.7 is a detail view showing the outlet from the elevator to the casing.Fig.

8 is a detail view showing the discharge chute for the dead. roots andvegetal matter.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in the severalviews.

In the exemplified form of my invention the frame A, which may be of anysuitable construction, is of sulky form, that is to say, it is carriedby two wheels 1 and 2 mounted upon the ends of a cross-axle 3, uponwhich the frame is balanced. This form is believed to be best adapted toserve the purposes of the present invention, though other forms may beemployed if desired. When this sulky-form is employed, an additionalsupporting means from the ground may be employed to tilt the machinewhile going up or down a hill. This additional supporting means may beone or more suitably arranged small wheels 4: suspended from a shaft 5by an arm or arms 6 and adjusted to and from the ground by a lever 7 andheld in adjusted position by any suitable means, as a rack 8 on theframe A and a suitable detent 9 on the lever.

The illustrated form of the machine is intended to be drawn by ananimal, the shafts for which are shown broken oif at 0:, but it isapparent that it may be otherwise propelled if desired. Carried by thisframe A is a casing B, provided with a cover I) and a door 6 for givingaccess to its interior. This casing is shown as divided by a plate Ginto two chambers b and b the former of which receives the dirt andweeds, and the latter of which chambers (6 contains a rotatable drum Dwithin which the roots are killed. The plate C is provided with anoutlet opening 0 which communicates with the receiving end of the drumthrough a spout d and the discharging end of said drum opens into adischarge chute d which is located at the rear end of the casing and isprovided with a spout (5 arranged to direct the dirt and vegetal matterto the ground. The plate C is also provided with a longitudinal opening0 through which the chamber 6 has communication with the chamber 6 and.it is provided with parallel or concentric walls 0 and c forming withthe bottom of the plate a trough or way C for the material. A secondplate (0") having openings registering with the openings in the plate Cmay be mounted on the latter if desired.

The roots of any weeds, grass or other plants contained in the soil arekilled in their passage through the drum D. The means illustrated forthis purpose subject the roots to a heat of a suflicient intensity toaccomplish the purpose suggested, imparted thereto partly through thewall of the drum and partly by direct contact therewith, the ends of thedrum being open to the chamber 6 The preferred means comprises a seriesof gasolene or other suitable burners 10 disposed at suitable distancesapart along the length of the drum and supplied with fuel from a tank 11connected therewith by pipes 12 and 13. A pump for forcing air into thetank 11 is illustrated at 1 1. This pump may be operated in any suitableway, and is connected with the tank by a pipe 14*.

It will be noted that the flames from the burners 10 are directedagainst the wall of the drum and serve also to heat the chamber o andthe plate C forming the top wall thereof and that the heated air flowsthrough the opening 0 in said plate G, into the chamber 6 The materialin the chamber b is thus heated directly by hot air flowing into contacttherewith and by heat radiated from the plate C.

At the front of the machine there is ar ranged a soil cutter E and anelevator F, which coiiperate to deliver the soil to be treated to way Cin the chamber 6 of the easing: and within said way there is a travelingmeans which moves the soil along the heated plate C, from the place ofits discharge from the elevator to the opening 0. The soil cuttercomprises a plow 15, or other suitable sod or soil remover, carried by aframe 16 which is open at the front and rear, and is closed at thebottom by an upwardly inclined wall 17 This frame forms the mouth of orinlet to an upwardly inclined chute 18 within which is arranged anendless traveling belt 19 having pushers or buckets 20 which convey thesoil upward along the bottom of the chute and to the spout 21 by whichthe soil is delivered to the way C. The belt 19 may be of chain or planeform. It is shown as the latter and as running over a pulley wheel 22mounted on a shaft 23 at the bottom of the chute. It also runs over adriving pulley 24 at the top of the chute. (See Fig. 5.) The travelingmeans, already referred to, similarly consists of an endless traveler,shown as a chain 25 running over sprockets 26 and 27 provided with armsor fingers 28 by which the soil is moved, around and upon the plate, tothe discharge open- 111 c lit a suitable place in advance of thetraveling elevating means a disintegrator G is arranged. Thisdisintegrator is here shown as a pulverizing roller, which may be of anysuitable construction. This roller is preferably mounted 011 a shaft 29,which is subjected to the pressure of springs 30 to enable the roller toyield to inequalities in the amount of material delivered to it and atthe same time cause it properly to be held to its work.

Suitable means are employed to adjust the depth of penetration of theplow and to raise it out of the ground when necessary. As herein shown,this consists of a lever 82 mounted on a shaft 33 having a crank arm 34which is suitably secured to the chute 18, and the latter is pivotallymounted at 85 upon a support 36 carried by the frame A. It will be seenthat the raising or lowering of the crank arm by rearward or forwardmovement of the lever 32 will correspondingly raise and lower the lowerend of the chute 18 and the plow. To hold the parts in adjusted positionany suitable detent mechanism may be employed, for example, theillustrated rack 37 and spring-pressed gripper-actuated dog 38.

The plow frame 16 is preferably pivotally mounted at 39 upon the lowerend of the chute 18 and is provided with a supporting roller 40 wherebyit may follow inequalities in the surface of the ground. It is alsopreferably supported by an arm 41 connected therewith by a link 12.

It will now be seen that as the machine is moved along the surface ofthe ground the sod or soil is removed therefrom and passes upwardlywithin the frame 16 and is disintegrated by the roller 29 and is thencaught by the elevator buckets or fingers 20 and raised thereby to thespout 21 by which it is delivered to the way C. It falls upon the heatedplate C and is engaged and pushed along said plate in the direction ofthe arrow to the opening 0. It is thus in its loosened and disintegratedcondition maintained in contact with the heated plate a suflicientlength of time to receive a meas urable degree of benefit therefrom,particularly being deprived of a part or all of the moisture containedtherein. It is thence delivered by the spout d to the receiving end ofthe heated drum D. This drum is inclined rearwardly and is rotated,whereby the material is caused to travel toward the rear end thereof andin its travel is agitated by moving upward with the wall of the drum andthence falling to the bottom. In this way and by this means access tovegetal matter in the material is assured, all parts of the material areheated alike and the material remains in the drum a sufiicient length oftime to be effectually treated by the heat, which is of an intensitysufficient to kill all the vegetal matter therein. From the rear end ofthe drum D the material falls into the discharge chute cl and thenceleaves the machine and is delivered to the ground through the spout (ZAny suitable means for rotating the several moving partsllB1'Ql1'1l')QfOIO set forth may be employed without departing from thespirit of the invention. I have here shown suitable gear connectionsderiving motion from the driving and supporting wheel 1, as follows 4L9designates a sleeve which is loosely mounted on the axle 3.

50 designates a sprocket which is mounted upon this sleeve and receivesmotion from the wheel 1. This sprocket is connected by a chain 51 with asprocket 52 mounted on a shaft 58 provided with a gear 54 which mesheswith a gear mounted on the shaft 24L which carries the before mentioneddriving pulley 24 of the elevator belt 19. By this means the elevator isdriven. A second sprocket,56, is mounted on the sleeve 49 and receivesmotion therefrom. This sprocket is connected by a chain 57 with asprocket 58 mounted on a shaft 59 extending across the front of themachine. This shaft is provided with a bevel gear 60 which isintermeshed with a similar gear 61 mounted on a shaft 62 which extendslongitudinally of the machine, through the casing 13. The drum 1) ismounted upon this shaft and is driven thereby. The shaft 62 is alsoprovided with a sprocket 63 which is connected by a chain 64 with asprocket 65 mounted on a shaft 66 provided with a bevel gear 67. Thisgear 67 meshes with a similar gear 68 which is mounted upon a shaft 69extending vertically into the casing. This shaft 69 carries the sprocket26 which drives the chain 25, and said chain thus derives motion fromthe sleeve through the instrumentalities described. The pulverizer Gderives its motion from the shaft 23 of the driving pulley 22 of theelevator, being connected there with by suitable gears 7 O.

The pump 14 is shown as driven by a sprocket 71 connected by a chain 72with a sprocket 78 mounted on a shaft of the pump. This sprocket ispreferably driven from the driving wheel 2, though it may be driven fromthe axle or any other suitable part of the machine. Suitable provisionis made for regulating the supply of air fro-m the pump to the tank 11to regulate the pressure on the gasolene.

Provision for adjusting the inclination of the drum D in order toregulate the speed of the flow of the material therethrough ispreferably made. For this purpose I prefer to mount the rear end of theshaft 62 in a vertically adjustable bearing 7 5 provided with anadjusting lever 76, fulcrumed at 77 upon the outside of the casing andprovided with means for holding it in adjusted position, such as thechain 78 and holding pin or projection 79. Suitable provision also ismade for disconnecting the driving connections when, as in moving fromplace to place, it is not intended to communicate movement to theseveral actuating parts. To this end the sleeve 49 which carries thesprockets 50 and 56 preferably derives its motion from the formersprocket and communicates motion to the sprocket 56, and the sprocket 50is slidably mounted on the sleeve and is provided with one member 60 ofa clutch, the other member 81 of which is fixed to the supporting anddriving wheel 1 of the machine. The sprocket is moved by aclutch-actuating lever suitably connected thereto, as shown best in Fig.4.

In practice, the gear connections to the air pump 14 will also include aclutch or other suitable means for disconnecting the same and thispreferably will have an actuating handle extending to the opposite sideof the machine where it will be accessible to an attendant stationednear the other levers.

From the foregoing description the construction, operation andadvantages of my machine will be readily understood and it will be seenthat my machine embodies many novel combinations of elements and that Ihave illustrated simple and practical forms of the elements of novel andadvantageous construction, all of which constitute features of thepresent invention.

Having now described my invention and particularly set forth what Iregard as the best form thereof, I claim 1. In a weed killer, Mta tabledrum, means for delivering material to urrntri'df thereof comprising a sgil r e n over an el 1%eaieeiha a P5156 charge opening c dinmunicatingwith the drum, means for moving the material over the plate and to thedischarge opening, and means for kil1inglhejlootailnlhe giatgial' gang.M- 2. In a weed killer, a rotatable drum, means for delivering materialto the interior thereof comprising a soil remover, an elevator for thesoil, a plate having a discharge opening communicating with the drum,means for moving the material over the plate and to the dischargeopening, and means for heating the drum and plate.

3. In a weed killer, a casing having a plate provided with an openingadapted to admit heated air from one portion of the casing to the other,and also provided with an outlet for material to be treated, a rotatabledrum arranged in the casing and having communication with said outlet, aheating means, and means for moving the material over said plate and tothe outlet.

4. In a weed killer, a casing having a plate provided with an openingadapted to admit heated air from one portion of the casing to the other,and also provided with an outlet for material to be treated, a rotatabledrum arranged in the casing and having communication with said outlet, aheating means, means for moving the material over said plate and to theoutlet, and means for delivering the material to said plate.

5. In a weed killer, a casing having a plate provided with an openingadapted to admit heated air from one portion of the casing to the other,and also provided with an outlet for material to be treated, a rotatabledrum arranged in the casing and having communication with said outlet, aheating means, means for moving the material over said plate and to theoutlet, and means for delivering the material to said plate, comprisinga soil remover and an elevator.

6. In a weed killer, means for removing the surface soil, means fordisintegrating the soil, a conveyer for conducting the soil from thedisintegrating means, a plate to which the soil is delivered by theconveyer, said plate provided with a way having an outlet, means formoving the soil along said Way and to the outlet, a rotatable drumhaving communication with the outlet, and means for killing the roots inthe drum.

7. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, means in the casing for killing weeds, and mechanismfor supplying the machine with material to be acted upon by the weedkilling means, comprising means for cutting the material from thesurface of the ground, means for disintegrating the same to expose allparts thereof to the action of the weed killing means and means forconducting the disintegrated material to the place where it is actedupon by the weedkilling means.

8. In a machine of the character set forth, a Wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, means for killing weeds, including a rotatable drum inwhich the weeds are killed, said drum mounted in the casing, mechan ismfor supplying the drum with material to be treated therein, comprisingmeans for cutting the material from the surface of the ground and meansfor conducting the material to the interior of the drum, and means forconducting the treated material to the ground.

9. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, means for killing weeds, including a rotatable drum inwhich the weeds are killed, said drum mounted in the casing, mechanismfor supplying the drum with material to be treated therein, com rising mea ns f or c utza tiesit aniateralifigl v. i a'fia r ground, means forconducting timer-i211 totheifiterior of the drum and a disintegratingmeans'arranged between the cutting means and conducting means.

10. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, means for killing weeds, including a rotatable drum inwhich the weeds are killed, said drum mounted in the casing, mechanismfor supplying the drum with material to be treated therein, comprisingmeans for cutting the material from the surface of the ground, means forconducting the material to the interior of the drum and a disintegratingmeans arranged between the cutting means and conducting means, and meansfor conducting the treated material to the ground.

11. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate in said casing providing a way for thematerial, having an outlet there from, a traveling means for moving thematerial along said way to the outlet, means whereby the material istreated in its movement along said way, and mechanism for supplying theway with material, comprising means for cutting the material from thesurface of the ground and means for conducting the same to the way.

12. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate in said casing providing a way for thematerial, having an outlet therefrom, a traveling means for moving thematerial along said way to the outlet, means whereby the material istreated in its movement along said way, and mechanism for supplying theway with material, compris ing means for cutting the material from thesurface of the ground, means for disintegrating the material and meansfor conducting the disintegrated material to the way.

13. In a machine of the character set forth a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate dividing the easing into two chambers,traveling means in one of the chambers for moving material therein, weedkilling means in the other chamber, said plate having an outlet from theformer chamber, and means for supplying the material to said formerchamber, comprising means for cutting the material from the surface ofthe ground and means for conducting the same to said traveling means.

14. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate dividing the easing into two chambers,traveling means in one of the chambers for moving material therein, weedkilling means in the other chamber, said plate having an outlet from theformer chamber, and means for supplying the material to said formerchamber, comprising 5 means for cutting the material from the surface ofthe ground, means for disintegrating the material and means forconducting the disintegrated material to said traveling means.

1 a wheeled frame,

15. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate dividing the easing into two chambers andprovided with an outlet opening from one of the chambers, a rotatabledrum in the other chamber, means by which the interior of the drum hascommunication with the outlet, a heating means in the last-mentionedchamber, means for cutting the surface soil from the ground andmechanism whereby the soil is delivered from the cutting means to saidoutlet.

16. In a machine of the character set forth, a casing carried thereby, aplate in the casing dividing the same into chambers, a heating means inone of the chambers, said plate having an opening for the ingress fromone chamber to the other of products of the heating means, means forcutting the material to be treated from the surface of the ground andmeans whereby said material is progressively moved from the cuttingmeans to and through each of said chambers.

17. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plat-e in the casing, dividing the same into chambersand having an outlet opening for material, an endless traveling means inone chamber for moving the material. over said plate to said outlet, arotatable drum in the other chamber having an inlet in communicationwith the outlet from the first chamber and provided with an outlet, saiddrum adapted to feed the material from its inlet to its outlet, means incommunication with outlet from the drum for conveying the material tothe ground, a'heating means in the drum chamber, said plate having anopening for the admission to the first mentioned chamber of the productsof the heating means, means for cutting the material to be treated fromthe surface of the ground, and means for conduct-ing said material tothe endless traveling means.

18. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate in the casing, dividing the same into chambersand having an outlet opening for material, an endless traveling means inone chamber for moving the material over said plate to the outlet, arotative drum in the other chamber having an inlet in communication withoutlet from the first chamber and provided with an outlet, said drumadapted to feed the material from its inlet to its outlet, means incommunication with outlet from the drum for conveying the material tothe ground, a heating means in the drum chamber, said plate having anopening for the admission to the first mentioned chamber of the productsof the heating means, means for cutting the material to be treated fromthe surface of the ground, means for disintegrating the material andmeans for conducting the disintegrated material to the endless travelingmeans.

19. In a machine of the character set forth, a wheeled frame, a casingcarried thereby, a plate in the casing, dividing the same into chambersand having an outlet opening for material, an endless traveling means inone chamber for moving the material over said plate to said outlet, arotative drum in the other chamber having an inlet in communication withthe outlet from the first chamber and provided with an outlet, said drumadapted to feed the material from its inlet to its outlet, means incommunication with the outlet from the drum for conveying the materialto the ground, a heating means in the drum chamber, said plate having anopening for the admission to the first mentioned chamber of the productsof the heating means, means for cutting the material to be treated fromthe surface of the ground, means for disintegrating the material, meansfor conduct-ing the disintegrated material to the endless travelingmeans, and means whereby said drum, endless traveling means, conductingmeans and disintegrator are operated by the travel of the vehicle.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

- HENRY B. KORESSEL.

WVitnesses:

HENRY SGHENK, THEO. S. HENRIOH.

